Syria in the Last 24 Hours

Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces Vladimir Putin took part in the extended session of the Defence Ministry Board

Today the extended session of the Defence Ministry Board has taken place at the National Centre for State Defence Control. It summed up the results of activities of the Russian Armed Forces for 2015 as well as set the tasks for the next period.

The President of the Russian Federation – Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces Vladimir Putin gave a speech before the participants of the Board.

The head of state paid particular attention to the actions of Russia in Syria. He claimed that they had not been based on abstract geopolitical interests and desire to test new armaments; the main objective had been the prevention of the threat to Russia.

Vladimir Putin highly appreciated the actions of the Russian servicemen in Syria.

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces emphasized that in total, the actions of the Russian group deserved high assessment. That is the result of work of the Russian Defence Ministry, the officers of the General Staff, the pilots of the Aerospace Forces and seamen of the Russian Navy.

Vladimir Putin warned those who would like to continue provocations against the Russian servicemen in Syria and ordered to act very sternly, eliminating any targets threatening the Russian forces and the ground infrastructure.

While assigning main tasks to the military construction and defining important directions of activities of the military department for 2016, Vladimir Putin said that strengthening of combat capabilities of the Strategic Nuclear Forces was one of the priority objectives.

Vladimir Putin stressed that the special attention must be paid to implementation of space defence programmes. According to him, it was necessary to follow the assigned plans, fit all components of the nuclear triad with modern armaments, and raise effectiveness of the missile attack alerting systems and systems of aerospace defence.

The Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation General of the Army Sergei Shoigu delivered a report at the Board session.

Sergei Shoigu attracted attention of the session participants to the fact that the tendency of aggravation of the military and political international situation was being continued especially in Europe, Central Asia and Middle East. He also introduced several examples.

Gradual expansion of the NATO is being observed. In the course of the comparatively short period of time, it has extended by two times, 12 new members have joined the Alliance.

Today, Montenegro, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia and Ukraine are preparing for joining the NATO.

Finland, Sweden, Serbia and Moldavia are being involved in the NATO’s field of interests.

This year, number of the NATO’s aircraft has been increased by eight times, and number of servicemen has been increased by 13 times on the territories of the Baltic states, Poland and Romania.

Up to 300 tanks and infantry fighting vehicles have been projected to these countries.

Aegis Ashore missile defence systems are being deployed in Romania and Poland.

There are approximately 200 American nuclear air bombs in Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Turkey. The bombs are considered to be renovated.

310 delivery aircraft have been put in different readiness conditions.

Cybersecurity center has been deployed in Tallinn and the Strategic propaganda center in Riga for reaching the informational superiority over Russia by the NATO member-states.

The “Islamic State” is extending its influence zones. The militants have captured about 70% of the Syrian territories and most regions of Iraq. There are more than 60 thousand terrorists.

There is a threat of projecting their actions to the Central Asia and Caucasus.

This spring, the Parliament of Japan changed the status of the Self-Defense Forces and granted the right to perform actions out of the state borders.

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation must have necessary potential in order to defend sovereignty of the country.

In order to perform the assigned task, the Russian Defence Ministry in cooperation with federal executive authorities has developed the Defence Plan 2016-2020. It was approved by the President of the Russian Federation.

The Plan takes into account all military threats and challenges and provides protection of the country according to all variants of military conflict outbreak with participation of the Russian Federation.

Quality condition of the Russian Armed Forces has been improved.

The staffing level has reached 92%, the number of contract servicemen has been increased by 10% this year and reached 352 thousand people. There were only 171,000 contract servicemen in 2012.

This is the first time when the number of contract servicemen has exceeded the number of conscripts.

The number of contract servicemen is to reach 384 thousand servicemen next year.

Commanders-in-Chief of branches and services, Chiefs of military central control bodies, command staff of military districts, fleets, units and formations of the Russian Armed Forces took part in the extended Board session.

Members of the Russian Security Council, leadership of the Federal Assembly, Government, representatives of veteran and other organizations were also invited to participate in the extended Board session.

The death toll from the three terrorist bombings that rocked Tal Tamr town in Hasaka
province on Thursday has risen to 60, including a number of women.

The initial death toll was put at 15, in addition to over 90 injured, before 45 more civilians
later succumbed to their wounds, according to a source at Hasaka governorate.

The bombings were carried out by suicide terrorists who used two gasoline tankers and a truck
packed with large amounts of explosives.

The attacks took place in three separate areas in Tal Tamr town, which is located 40 km to the west
of Hasaka city.

Massive material damage was caused to shops, houses and a health center due to the bombings.

The army destroys more terrorist positions in various areas
11 December، 2015
Provinces, SANA

The military operations against terrorist organizations are continuing, with the army’s air force intensifying strikes on terrorist targets, destroying equipment and leaving many terrorists dead.

Lattakia

Army units destroyed a number of vehicles and hideouts for terrorists from Jabhat al-Nusra and other organizations who tried to infiltrate towards Oteira Mountain, the hills overlooking al-Burj al-Faransi area, al-Qazghadar Mountain and al-Azar Mountain in the northern countryside of Lattakia, a military source told SANA on Friday.

Dozens of the terrorists were killed and their equipment was destroyed as the army units thwarted their infiltration attempt, the source added.

Homs

The army also raided ISIS hideouts and concentrations in Maheen, al-Qaryatin, al-Barida and al-Basiri in Homs south-eastern countryside, killing a number of terrorists and destroying their vehicles and weapons.

The army air force targeted hideouts for Jabhet al-Nusra terrorists in Teir Maala in Homs northern countryside, killing a number of terrorists and destroying their armaments.

Hama

The army established control over the areas of Zanouba, northern and southern Kherbat Zanouba and al-Qatshyeh in Homs eastern countryside, a military source said.

The army air force destroyed terrorists’ hideouts in the areas of al-Latamina, Atashan and Jub al-Marade’ near al-Salamyeh in Hama countryside, killing scores of terrorists and destroying their weaponry and munitions.

The engineering units dismantled a number of explosive devices planted by terrorists on roads and between houses before they fled these areas.

Damascus countryside

Army units cut off a supply route for terrorists linking Marj al-Sultan and al-Bilalieh villages in Damascus countryside, killing at least 11 terrorists.

Army units also managed to break through an earthen rampart set up by terrorists in the area in a precise operation which resulted in the destruction of two cars, one of them equipped with a machinegun.

Head of the legal body of Ahrar al-Sham Islamic Movement, Mohammad Darwish, was killed in Jisrin village in eastern Ghouta. Three cars were destroyed and a number of terrorists were killed.

On the northern outskirts of eastern Ghouta, an army unit killed three terrorists affiliated to the so-called Islam Army in Harasta farms.

Daraa

In southern Syria, army units targeted hideouts and positions for Jabhat al-Nusra terrorists in separate areas in al-Menshiyeh neighborhood in Daraa al-Balad in Daraa city.

The operations resulted in destroying the hideouts targeted, along with the weapons, ammunition, equipment and vehicles equipped with heavy machineguns existing in the sites.

Another army unit destroyed a hideout for terrorists, killing those inside it, in the area located between the towns of al-Soura and al-Hrak in the eastern countryside of Daraa province.

Deir Ezzor

The army’s air force conducted sorties targeting ISIS headquarters and gatherings of terrorists in al-Ommal and al-Hweiqeh neighborhoods and near al-Furat center in Deir Ezzor city, a military source told SANA on Thursday.

The targets were directly hit, with terrorists getting killed and their weapons and ammunition destroyed, according to the source.

More terrorists were killed or injured and their hideouts were destroyed in army airstrikes in al-Jafreh and al-Mrei’iyeh villages in Mohassan area in the countryside of Deir Ezzor province.

Aleppo

Army units thwarted a terrorist attack by members of ISIS against military checkpoints on the axis of Rasm al-Aboud and Nasrallah villages in the eastern countryside of Aleppo.

Army units clashed with ISIS members, killed dozens of them and destroyed their weapons and vehicles.